Handwritten marketing works wonders for political candidates, but this article points to the longevity of personal handwritten notes in politics. The longevity that can come back to bite you.

Silly us. We thought it was technology – the frantic e-this and cyber-that – that would kill the slow and intimate delight that is the handwritten letter. But wrong again. It’s politics, it seems, that might do the foul deed.

There is some good insight throughout this article:

There’s no denying that such personal, handwritten missives possess power. More than emails, handwritten versions suggest intimacy and honesty and revelation.

“How very human were letters,” Cathleen Schine wrote in her novel The Love Letter. “Only we write letters.” Beasts may grunt or gesture. “But they don’t write love letters.”

It’s not for nothing, so rife are they with meaning, that stacks of them can be bound in elastic and saved, in chest or shoebox, for years, for lifetimes.

An email is quickly scanned, a letter studied. Is the paper an expensive bond carefully folded, or a scrap torn from a notebook? Does the chosen ink colour set a tone, the handwriting reveal mood or temperament? And does that scent of perfume, should a recipient be so lucky, hint at intent?

More:

There seems a yearning afoot for the age of letter writing as a means of communication at depth.

Almost 20 years ago, G. Kingsley Ward had an unlikely bestseller with his Letters of a Businessman to His Son. Modelled, perhaps, on Ranier Maria Rilke’s Letters to a Young Poet, it sparked any number of copycat collections of missives to young women, young Christians or “to the next generation from people who know a thing or two.”

They’re popular, perhaps, because letters suggest investment of time and thought and heart.

For customers looking to generate a large number of personal leads, handwritten notes with a “little extra” are a good option. In addition to our custom handwritten pieces we often include a business card, small pamphlet or brochure about the company or cause. While we focus on the handwritten piece we can also help you accomplish your goal even if it involves a little printing as well.

For tips on creating new cards, check out this post.

I ran across some interesting research from AccountTemps. According to a recent survey, almost 9 out of 10 executives say a Thank-You note boosts the candidates chances of getting hired. Over 50% preferred a handwritten note.

I wonder what other areas in recruiting, job placement, and human resources that a handwritten note might help? If you have any suggestions, please let me know.

The Power of the Thank You Note

In fact, nearly nine out of 10 executives say a thank-you note following a job interview can boost a candidate’s chances, according to a survey of 150 executives from human resources, finance and marketing departments of large companies. (The survey by Accountemps, a staffing firm, has a margin of error of 6.2 percentage points.)

But only 49 percent of job candidates send thank-you notes, according to the executives polled in the survey.

Fifty-two percent of respondents said they prefer to receive a handwritten note compared with 44 percent who like e-mail.

Even if you don’t get that job or that client, Post says you’ll likely be remembered for your act.

On the other end, Post makes an interesting personal observation: People remember the one couple that did not send a thank-you note for the wedding present years after the fact.

“Everyone likes to be thanked,” she says. “In an e-mail, that’s good. Handwritten, it’s much better. It shows … that you’ve taken the time to sit down and give this person your thoughts.”

In the news today was another letter found by President Lincoln. Unlike email, voicemail, or even glossy direct mail, I’m always struck by the permanence and long term value of the simple handwritten note. Lincoln’s note was found tucked in with other documents just waiting to be discovered and shared again.

July 7, 1863, three days after the Battle of Gettysburg and the fall of Vicksburg, President Abraham Lincoln penned this note to his General-in-Chief Henry Halleck expressing his belief that if Gen. George Meade could follow up his recent victory in Pennsylvania by defeating Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee’s army the Civil War would be over.

Sometimes it’s the little things that make the difference. A small thank-you here, a nice follow-up, or just a reminder that you are there to help. All these little actions add up to create a good impression for your current clients or even potential clients.

This article in BusinessWeek touches on many of those small gestures. But it was number 7, the finale that got my attention.

When was the last time you received a handwritten note? I bet you remember it. I do. After a brief conversation with the chief executive officer of a well-known franchisor, I was surprised to receive an envelope in the mail with a short handwritten thank-you note along with several coupons for his product. The coupons were for small amounts, but the gesture left a big impression on me.

My insurance and financial planning adviser gets plenty of business from me because of numerous, small touches during the year. Several times a year I can expect to receive a handwritten note, a short voice message, or a copy of an article that I might find valuable given what he knows about my interests. None of these touches are accompanied by a hard sell, but I wouldn’t consider bringing my business to anyone else.

There is something about the power of handwriting. Typed words cannot match this personal touch. The spoken word, while personal, does not have the permanence. Handwriting alone has that special quality that grabs our attention and also communicates our emotions as well as our thoughts.

For example, why do we remember the name John Hancock? It’s because there is emotion in his signature. Emotion in his statement. No typewritten or printed text can convey that feeling.

It’s the same with your correspondence. Printed notes just cannot match the personal nature of handwritten. So, the next time you think about which option is best for you think about what you’re trying to accomplish. Convey information? Any note will do. Convey emotion and a personal touch? Nothing beats handwriting, whether we do it for you or not.